KUALA LUMPUR – Seventeen Covid-19 cases with the South African B.1.351 variant have been detected in the country so far, Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said.
In a statement today, he said phylogenetic analysis, as well as geographical linkages, showed the probability that the locally transmitted cases originated from the same source of infection.
He said the South African B.1.351 variant was found in three cases from the Jalan Lima Cluster in Hulu Langat and Sepang districts, Selangor; Kebun Baru cluster, Kuala Langat (nine cases); Teknologi Emas Cluster, Kuala Langat (one case) and close contact screening (one case).
Dr Noor Hisham said the variant was initially detected in two cases from the Jalan Lima cluster, involving workers of a company based at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and one case each from the Kebun Baru cluster and a close contact screening on March 18.
The South African B.1.351 variant was first detected in the UK and South Africa in December last year.
Since early this year, the presence of the variant was also reported in other countries, including the US, Canada, Germany, Australia and South Korea. – Bernama, April 14, 2021
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